Fire engulfs vegetable market in Patiala

A raging fire charred shops and inflicted huge losses upon traders as it engulfed a wholesale vegetable market in Patiala on Wednesday.

The fire broke out at 4.30 am in the city.

A vegetable vendor, Raju, said that all the vegetables and cash kept in shops were completely burned in the fire.

"The fire broke out somewhere in the backside and spread to the wholesale vegetable market in less than a minute. It has damaged goods and inflicted huge losses as all the cash kept in the shops has been burnt," said Raju.

Dozens of fire tenders rushed to the spot to douse the inferno.

However, there was no loss of life reported from the fire so far.

Assistant sub-inspector, Shyam Saroop Singh, said they would conduct a probe to ascertain the reason behind the fire.

"The fire tenders immediately reached the spot and we too rushed as soon as we received news of fire in the vegetable market. We will conduct an inquiry to ascertain the cause of the fire," said Singh.

Wisps of smoke rose from the market as traders rummaged through the ashes, trying to salvage their goods.